Category Archives: Politics

Black Bears Invade Northwest Illinois – Governor Quinn Blames Wisconsin!

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Black bears have been spotted in Freeport, Stockton, and now Rockford, Illinois. The bears are migrating from our northern neighbor, Wisconsin. There have not been any black bears in Illinois since 1870. Do you really believe that they decided to come to Illinois on their own? The answer is a resounding NO. Wisconsin Governor Walker and his Republican friends to the north by their tax policies gave the State of Wisconsin a decisive tax advantage over their high tax friends to the south. To further drive residents and businesses out of Illinois, Wisconsin has been secretly forcing black bears south into Illinois.

Mayor Morrissey of Rockford, Illinois stated – “It’s difficult enough to attract residents and businesses to Rockford when you look at the economic policies of this state, and now you cannot even go out at night without the threat of black bears attacking you.” Governor Quinn to his credit did say that if there are any bear attacks in the area, he would consider mobilizing the National Guard. Bruce Rauner, his Republican opponent in this fall’s election, stated that in order to encourage economic development he would recommend tax credits for bear processing plants if they would relocate to northwest Illinois.

For more information provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, go to

Click to access bearpractice.pdf

New Fire Chief as One of His First Acts Submits New Fire Works Ordinance to Freeport City Council – Forget Private Fireworks Displays in Freeport!

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Freeport City Council Meeting Monday, June 2, 2014, 6:00 pm
City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Some items of interest on the agenda:

Mayor will give his annual State of City speech.

Life Saving Award for Freeport Police Officers

Resolution Honoring Retiring City Accountant Duane Price

Resolution Honoring Gene Plum for service on Water and Sewer Commission

1st Reading of Ordinance to approve Comcast (cable) Franchise Agreement with City – City gets 5 per cent of gross revenue for Franchise Fee. No wonder City Administration likes high Comcast Fees since they receive more money to spend!

PRIZE ORDINANCE OF THE MONTH!!!
1st Reading of new Fireworks Ordinance. Let’s forget the 4th of July this year and save some money! The requirements of this ordinance will make most private displays impossible unless you have unlimited funds like the City and Freeport School District which can tax their way to compliance! Among pages of requirements for the approval of a display is the requirement that fire protection on site consist of one fire engine and one ambulance. Too bad most of us do not have a private fire department so we can get a fireworks permit. Big brother and big bureaucracy in action. An example of what is wrong with America!!!

Now that Freeport has solved its crime problem with the new rental ordinance, the enlarged police department can devote its attention to fireworks violations!

The mayor when asked by a little girl whether she could have sparklers on the 4th replied – Sure you can – just get a fire engine and ambulance in your back yard!

To read this ordinance and its requirements for a permit go to

Click to access Fireworks%20Ordinance%2020140602.pdf

The complete agenda for the June 2 meeting is available at

Click to access A20140602.pdf

Freeport Mayor Praises Governor Quinn in Recent Column – How Soon We Forget! Freeport’s New Slogan – Give Us A Crumb and We Will Support You Forever!

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Mayor Jim Gitz of Freeport in his weekly column in the Journal Standard thanked Governor Quinn for repairs to West Street and Park Boulevard. Mr. Gitz must have a short memory. This Governor has done little for Freeport and Northwest Illinois west of Rockford. Thank the Governor for a 67% income tax increase, thank the Governor for doing nothing on a four lane US 20, thank the Governor for the train from Rockford to Chicago (If you live in Freeport, you can take the bike path to Rockford to catch the train.), thank the Governor for creating a business environment in this state that drives existing businesses out of the state such as MetLife, thank the Governor for destroying existing businesses in this state that cannot afford to leave, and thank the Governor for destroying the lives of many citizens of this state who have lost jobs, homes, and families as a result of his destructive policies. Yes, this Governor has created quite a legacy!

Real Estate Tax Bills Are Out – Freeport Rate Pushing 12%!

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Freeport does have one big disadvantage when it comes to economic growth. It is located in Illinois! Illinois is known as anti-business state and high tax state (they go together). Although it may not be totally justified, that is the perception. To make matters worse, the reckless spending and high taxes at a state level must be contagious. Look at the Freeport School District! A tax rate of 6.5% in 2012 and for 2013 it is 7%, and this District had enough nerve to want 1% sales tax increase. While many states such as Texas have no state income taxes, Illinois raised its tax 67% a few years ago. It was supposed to be a temporary increase – what a joke. Taking the revenue away from the bureaucrats in Illinois is like taking sugar away from rats. Once the rat gets used to the sugar, it will do anything to get more. Same for the politicians in Springfield. Illinois, instead of looking for ways to cut spending, looks instead for new sources of revenue which is another way of saying more tax increases are coming!

If You Like to Eat – Read This! Some Day Not in the Too Distant Future!

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You go to a restaurant and have a good dinner. After you have finished your entre you start thinking about dessert. The waiter does not mention dessert to you, and in fact just brings you the check. Finally, you ask the waiter if you could have a dessert menu, and the waiter replies that the City where you are having dinner has an ordinance called “Healthy Eating Habits for All – A Program to Reduce Obesity.” You ask the waiter how he decided that you could have no dessert. He says that the ordinance has ten criteria which the wait staff must use in determining whether dessert should be denied to the patron. One of the criteria being that your shirt is too tight in which case you will not get dessert. He tells the patron that he met the too tight shirt requirement and therefore no dessert. As a consolation, the waiter does offer the patron a complimentary salad in place of dessert.

See the future – first they will take away our desserts and next will be our french fries and cheeseburgers. America will become a healthy nation – but at what expense!

Oh, by the way, for lunch treat yourself to a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese at McDonalds – it’s only 750 calories and the rumor is it will soon be banned in New York City!

More TIF’s in Freeport’s Future!

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Freeport City Council Meeting Monday, May 6, 2014, 6:00 pm
City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Some items of interest on the agenda:

Appointment of Todd Barkalow as Chief of Police.

Another new TIF (Tax Increment Financing District)? An ordinance authorizing study to determine eligibility of property for a TIF. What a joke! Why waste money on a study. All of Freeport would quality as TIF according to the rules! By the way, must be a secret area since location not included in ordinance (at least not online). In any event, remember each TIF just shifts tax burden to homeowners and small businesses.

Resolution to co-sponsor music at Debate Square with Lincoln-Douglas Society on July 3, 17, 24, and 31 from 7: 30 to 9:00 pm.

For the full agenda go to:

Click to access A20140505.pdf

Rockford Gets Rail Service to Chicago – Freeport Gets Nothing as Usual!

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Illinois Map

When will Freeport wake up?

Rockford doesn’t give a damn if Freeport gets rail service.

Governor Quinn doesn’t care about Freeport – not enough votes.

Our Congresswoman Bustos doesn’t care about Freeport – She can get elected without Freeport’s help. Talk about an ineffective representative for our part of Illinois.

The Journal Standard, Freeport’s local newspaper, had an article on April 11 by Chuck Sweeny, a columnist for the Rockford Register Star (both owned by the same company) announcing that rail service would just go to Rockford. No service to Freeport. It just stated the facts. Then you should read Sweeny’s column in the Rockford newspaper. He wrote a column praising Governor Quinn saying about Quinn “He made service to Rockford a top priority and followed through.” One story for Freeport and Praise Quinn story for Rockford. Chuck Sweeny is no friend of Freeport or Northwest Illinois west of Rockford. Freeport should wake up.

Rockford is a “user.” When they want something, they talk about regional cooperation. That should end. It should begin with Chicago Rockford “International” Airport. A nice little airport with third rate air service. Shop in Rockford? Every time you go to Rockford your life is on the line with its high crime rate As long as you are driving, you might as will continue to Woodfield with real stores. Yes, Rockford has played the rest of Northwest Illinois for fools for years – AND THAT MUST END.

It’s Finally Getting Warmer in Northwest Illinois! No Snow for Monday, April 7, So You All Can Make It to the Freeport City Council Meeting at 6:00 pm

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20140406-194938.jpgThe Council will meet in the Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor.
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Items of Interest on the agenda:

Proclamation on Union Dairy Week June 16 – 22

Appointment of Shelly Griswold (former Community Development Director) to the Airport Commission – Wow – I was afraid Shelly was really leaving us, but everyone knows that the City needs her help! If she does as much for the Airport as she did for the City of Freeport, it means that the Airport will close down by the time her term expires. One thing for sure, the City better budget more money for the Airport!

For a complete agenda go to

Click to access A20140407.pdf

Get a Traffic Ticket in Illinois – They Take Your License!

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You are an Illinois resident and are driving in the state of Illinois to the airport. You are stopped for going six miles over the speed limit. The officer is very polite, but takes your driver’s license since that is the policy in Illinois. Get a ticket and they keep your license until you post bond! Unfortunately, you do not have time to post bond since your flight is leaving in less than two hours. In addition you plan to rent a car when you arrive at your destination. What a way to start a vacation! You get to the airport with no acceptable State identification except a receipt for your license. If you get through security, try to rent a car with no actual driver’s license. Thank you Illinois! By the way, if you are a non-resident, you could keep your license.

Just another way you are penalized for being a resident of this state. No other state treats its residents like Illinois, but we already know that!

There is bill being considered in the Illinois legislature to correct this problem by allowing residents to keep their licenses after getting speeding tickets. Why has this taken so long? This is Illinois, so don’t bet on it becoming law. It’s a wonder that Illinois residents are not jailed in this state for a speeding ticket – sorry I shouldn’t have mentioned it. That will be next. Just another way to raise revenue – It is Illinois.

Wow – Journal Standard Gets It Right – Our Property Taxes Are Out of Whack! It’s a Fact – Not an April Fools Joke!

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An editorial in the Journal Standard on April 1, 2014 reflected on Governor Quinn’s proposal to give every property owner a $500 refund on their property taxes. It further stated that the refund is of less value in Stephenson County for the following reason:

“What’s more, a flat refund is of less value in Stephenson County than it is in areas where property taxes are not quite so out of whack.”

Yes, taxes in Stephenson County and in particular Freeport are “out of whack.” In fact that is a nice way to put it. Property tax assessments (based on market values supposedly) in many cases bear no relationship to actual property values. High tax rates and unrealistic property assesments have contributed to to falling property values, population decline, and businesses leaving the area.

What small business owner wants to fight about its assessment every year?

What home owner wants to live in a community where his tax assessment has not fallen along with property values?

Who wants to own property in a community where the tax rate goes up every year with a corresponding increase in your real estate taxes?

The answer is no one. People are tired of fighting. They say nothing, but their actions speak for them. They just leave the area.

Years go, a local Freeport community leader would tell people that if they did not like it in Freeport, they should leave. Will, my friend, they are all gone now. Thank you for your words of wisdom.